Selected Impromptu Comments at the Graduation and Diploma Presenting Ceremony of the Royal University of Phnom Penh

Development Needs Human Resource

It is my pleasure to once again join with all of you to present diplomas for 3,523 graduates of the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP). Since 1988, I have participated 19 times to present diploma in RUPP. I am so delighted to have listened to the report of HE Tith Chamnan in relation to the overall progress made in RUPP. We have all learned that this is the oldest university of the country. It has attracted most students to study here too. The maintenance of such reputation as a state university with quality education standard is a guarantee for future of our students in this and forthcoming generations. I would like to take this opportunity to give my appreciation to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports as well as leaders, rector and vice rectors, professors, staff of RUPP for making efforts in the past for the university to function.

Through putting out policy issued by the state National University for fee paying program, RUPP and various other universities have made tremendous achievements. In the course of implementing this fee paying program, the National Institute of Management, which as a branch of RUPP, becomes the National University of Management itself. We also have the National Education Institute developing the same way. These achievements have been realized in response to the growing demand of our country’s development and need for human resource. I am also taking pride that graduates of RUPP have become professors in various other schools.

I would like to take this opportune moment to express my appreciation and joy for all graduates – bachelors and masters alike, for making successes in their studies so far. Our country, the Royal Government, communities and families are proud to have new intellectuals, which are indispensable human resource in national development. We all have learnt that no country experiences development without human resource. I have at times compared countries that are rich in natural resources with those without. Countries with abundance of natural resources are not necessarily being rich and those with less are not necessarily being poor.

We can take Cambodia as example. It is a country with abundance of natural resource but we are still one of the poor countries. It is true that we also suffered from wrong politics, where human resources were destroyed through the implementation of genocide policy by Pol Pot. In the same instance when we look at Singapore as example, a country that has to buy drinking water from Malaysia, of a natural resource poor country has become a rich one instead. Human resource – as indicated in the case of Singapore – plays out very important role, where creativity has answered for the need for development.

Cambodia to Become in 2030 – Upper Middle Income Country, 2050 – Developing Country

We have now come to the stage where it is new for Cambodia as it has become a country that earns lower middle income status. We are making further efforts to advance into an upper middle income country by the year 2030 and a developing country by 2050. It is importantly true that Cambodia would not be able to achieve this vision/goal with the speed it did. We need to have new plans and set out new goals and also to attract more investments. I do not know if I will live until the year 2030 and even more so until the year 2050. We may be able to observe then what the younger generation will have performed by 2030 as the country advances into upper middle income country status.

In bolstering the move, we have put out already policy for Cambodian industry for the year 2015 and the industrial development for 2025, in which we have pinpointed the need for industry to make use available national resources plus global industry with high-tech base. We need therefore to develop our human resource in both bachelor and master levels but also those of our citizens who would become businessmen. We do not wish our trained human resources to possess skills sufficient only for being hired by other countries. We aim to train our human resource for internal demand. We wish to attract investment and create labor value inside the country. It is true that all this will require directions set in the framework of policy making but also in organizing the implementation. In light of this human resource will be indispensable in the country’s national development policy.

More Attention on Disable Athletes

I would like to take this opportune moment to share my joy with families of graduates who are here to be presented with their diplomas. It has been a normal scene so far that when I leave the ceremony, family members are waiting outside to welcome their husbands, wives, children or nieces and nephews for making achievements in their studies. Yesterday and today, I have spent times with education and sports. Yesterday I received a group of Cambodian sportsmen who headed to Singapore for SEA Games. Now I am meeting students and professors of RUPP here. However, Fresh News has it at midnight that six Cambodian disable athletes won up to 16 gold medals in their IT contest in Korea and nothing was done to hail that.

I have instructed the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports to look into this matter. The issue is relating to social affairs too. Why has this news not been heard? We have not done anything for them. I order immediate find-out. So far we have sent many disable athletes for contest in various events of Paralympics and they won numerous gold medals. I am calling on more attention to be placed on our disable athletes who have made it to reputation and returned to the country with gold medals. We must correct that. We must make sure to realize our motto of looking after the disable. If we were to learn nothing about them in the news, how could we realize the goal?

We need to develop an incentive process. Everyone feels good being encouraged. If people are not flattered there is no need to have medals. Medals are made for giving marks of admiration on performances. Our disable athletes won up to 13 gold medals, how could we be so quiet? How could the Minister of Social Affairs know nothing about it? It is really his charge. Please look into the matter. It is good that Fresh News has it in time. They got a good scoop.

China Will Build Stadium at Whatever Price

I have some points to bring to the attention of the Phnom Penh Post and it may choose not to run it on this. Yesterday many had joined me on the adoption of the architectural plan of a stadium for the SEA Games in 2023. I did not say China gives Cambodia 100 million USD to build Cambodia’s new national sports stadium. I do not know from where they got my words. I did say I decided on one of the two architectural design presented to men – Plan B and Plan D. I said I chose the architectural design D because of various reasons, among which evacuation time would take shorter time in plan D than Plan B – five minutes versus seven. The other reason is Plan D makes it easier to maintain and to replace broken materials. It is true that Plan B looks very much like a lotus.

I did not say China pays 100 million USD and there has not yet any estimates as to how much it would cost. However, our Chinese friend did say no matter the price will be China will provide as long as Prime Minister Hun Sen wishes to. It means China will build us the whole thing. The most important thing here is we have an architectural team who will have to work out the detail together. Freedom of expression in Cambodia has come to this level as Phnom Penh Post could have made inaccurate information its story. It is concerning words of leaders. It is not a simple matter. What they published could have doubt why an architectural plan of between 150 million and 200 million USD was said to only need about 80 million or 90 million and 100 million USD?

CPP Has No Time to Divide CNRP

There is one other thing also in Phnom Penh Post. I still do not believe it. Someone has been reportedly said that the Cambodian People’s Party has been doing the game of dividing. I do not know if the person has really said it. If s/he did say it, s/he definitely violates the culture of dialogue. The culture does not allow anyone to say harm other and vice versa. I can’t tell if Phnom Penh Post exaggerated what the person had said. Well, true or false, I just send words that being divided or not is not because of CPP. CPP has got so many works to do and it has not time to divide others. It is them who will have to figure out their situation. They should not have claimed about who bought who. How come their heads are so cheap? They said they have no fear even if threatened. No one threatens them. They may choose to run away if they like to.

No one is to divide them. If they wanted to be divided it will be up to them. Yesterday HE Sam Rainsy sent me an SMS, while he is in the United States, asking if I am doing alright. I replied. He told me about his trip in the US wherever he was he explained to Cambodian people about new turning point in Cambodian politics and his efforts to foster our culture of dialogue. However, the one inside the country tries to divide. It is no different to a marriage relationship, no matter who may interfere, mother in law, etc. if they decided not to part, their relations stay intact. In my last SMS to Sam Rainsy I made it clear to him that the person has come to this position with the CPP votes so it would not take more than that to bring the person back down.

I wish the person would not be so adamantly rebellious. The culture of dialogues requires mutual respect. The person causes trouble, while he is in position voted for by CPP. With enough trouble, CPP may have to vote him down. How could that be a threat? The culture of dialogue requires involved parties to respect one another, to consult and not to attack each other. Now that I am speaking publicly, I also reiterate that I do not see what the Phnom Penh Post had written yet and the point is the Phnom Penh Post has been so professional at distortion. As I mentioned to you what it did about the national sports stadium.

Traffic Accident in Svay Rieng

I would like to take this moment to express deep condolences over the death of people in Svay Rieng in one of the worst traffic accidents occurred. HE Men Sam An, Deputy Prime Minister, has just asked for permission to head to the accident area. The accident claimed 21 lives of workers on pickup trucks to works and many more severely injured ones are in hospital. Traffic has become a serious issue in Cambodia. This accident proves ever more clearly that we need to enforce the traffic rules on land more attentively. We need everyone to respect the law as half or ten percent of people do not abide by it, accidents will continue to happen. I am calling on all of our people to abide by and implement the new land traffic law./.